He described the huge crowds seen for the second day out on the route were “unbelievable, incredible, amazing, astonishing”.

And he said the five-times Tour champion and fellow Frenchman Bernard Hinault had told him he had never seen crowds like it in 40 years of cycling.

Many of the most memorable scenes on the first two days of the Tour were on the climbs over Yorkshire’s moors.

But enthusiasts hoping for similar ascents on day three will be disappointed as stage three ends in the centre of London on Monday, July 7.

It takes in towns like Chelmsford and Saffron Walden as well as London’s Olympic Park, is extremely flat, with no official climbs.

The highest point on the route is at Epping Forest, at 108m.

A flat race should mean a good day for the sprinters but British cycling fans will have to be content to watch without sprint specialist Mark Cavendish, who bowed out of the race in a spectacular crash in Harrogate on Saturday.

Monday’s race will finish on The Mall, after a closing section which will pass many of London famous landmarks and a last few kilometres along the River Thames before passing the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.

The finish line is where the bike races ended in the London 2012 Olympics.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “As the world’s largest annual sporting event prepares to make a triumphant return to our city, London is geared up and raring to go.

“After months of meticulous planning we are set to deliver a sporting spectacle that will be beamed to an audience of billions across the globe, showcasing some of our finest landmarks and most picturesque views.

“I wish every rider taking part in this gruelling endeavour the best of luck - I’m sure they will no doubt inspire even more Londoners to take to two wheels. Chapeau!”

The third stage of the Tour will take the riders from Cambridge to the capital via parts of Essex.

The 155km stage follows a weekend which saw at least 2.5 million people watch the teams battle through Yorkshire’s city streets and country lanes.

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